Chocobo Breeding
by ShounenSuki
Summary: Zack has a unique way of viewing the world, and Cloud's gonna find out just how good that can be. Lemon warning!


**Author: ShounenSuki  
Editor: Moondalian  
Summary: Zack has a unique way of viewing the world, and Cloud's gonna find out just how good that can be. Lemon warning!  
Pairings: Zack Fair x Cloud Strife**

 **Remember to R &R~**

* * *

 **~Chocobo Breeding~**

"There you are! I've been looking all over for you! Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find you when you're wearing the exact same outfit as everyone else? Especially when you have that helmet on as well!"

"It… It's called a uniform for a reason, Sir. I kinda have no choice in wearing it."

Shinra infantryman Cloud Strife put his helmet down next to him. He had only taken it off because he was on a break. Apparently this had been the exact same moment SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair had burst into the army cafeteria.

It had been several months since he had first met the 1st Class and he had caused plenty of headaches during that time. He couldn't blame Zack though; he was just a bit… excitable. Like a puppy.

And Cloud liked puppies. Who didn't?

Still, he wished Zack would act a bit more appropriate sometimes. Zack was still a SOLDIER after all —a 1st Class at that— and he was only a simple army grunt. This little fact just didn't seem to register with Zack though. The older teen never treated him as anything less than his equal. It made Cloud a bit uncomfortable, especially when they were around his fellow infantrymen.

Zack was still a great friend though, despite his oddities.

"You should wear something that'll allow me to identify you even in your uniform. Like a ribbon around your arm or something."

"I'm pretty sure that's against regulations, Sir."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. And stop calling me 'Sir'. My name's Zack: Z. A. C. K."

Cloud sighed deeply. This guy really didn't understand how to act in an army.

"I can't go around calling you 'Zack'. It'd be inappropriate. I'm your subordinate you know."

"Meh, you're my friend first and foremost. I order you to call me 'Zack'!"

Cloud rubbed his temples again. He wondered if Zack ever actually thought about what he said. The answer was probably no.

"Fine, _Zack_. What do you want? I'm assuming you were looking for me for a reason."

"Oh right, I almost forgot! I need to show you something awesome!"

"Zack, calm down. You're shouting. And I really can't come with you right now. I need to finish my lunch before my break is over."

"I _order_ you to come with me."

He seemed so proud of himself. As if he'd just solved a difficult riddle or something. Cloud couldn't bring himself to tell him that the chain of command just didn't work that way. Zack's eyes were sparkling with joy and excitement.

"I'm going to get into so much trouble for this…"

A few minutes later they were standing in front of the Shinra stables. Cloud stared at the large double doors for a while, blinking in confusion. He hadn't even known the Shinra Building had stables. He briefly wondered what they used them for but then realised he probably didn't want to know.

Zack in the mean time couldn't hold his excitement any longer. With almost superhuman strength he pushed open the double doors and grabbed his hand to drag him inside.

As soon as he was inside Cloud stood face to face with an enormous monster. A large, cat-like creature with long, sharp horns and equally sharp spikes at the tip of its tail. It growled softly as it stared back at him, revealing its dagger-like teeth.

"Zack…? Is that a behemoth?"

"What? No, of course not!"

"Then wha—"

"It's a _king_ behemoth!"

"Oh… Obviously…"

"And its name is Fluffy."

"…"

The utter absurdity of that last statement allowed him to finally tear his attention away from the monster. He stared at Zack for a while, dumbfounded and baffled. Zack just smiled. Cloud didn't understand how Zack could just smile in this situation. They were standing next to a freaking king behemoth!

"Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to regret asking this but I feel like I should for the sake of my continued sanity."

"What is it?"

"Why is there a king behemoth here?"

"It's Sephiroth's pet."

"Why does General Sephiroth have a king behemoth as his pet?"

"I gave it to him as a birthday gift."

"Why is it called Fluffy?"

"Because I named it that."

"Why?"

"I thought it was cute."

Cloud stared at the proudly smiling Zack. He blinked before looking over at the king behemoth. For a moment he felt a deep sympathy for the large beast and a deep connection built on mutual confusion and frustration form between them.

"Please tell me we're not here for… Fluffy."

"What? No, of course not. Why would I bring you here to look at Sephiroth's pet? What I wanna show you is even better!"

"This can't end well…"

Zack dragged him further into the stables. Cloud didn't even notice any of the other animals there. He was completely zoned out, mindlessly following Zack until they eventually stopped in front of a small pen.

"Here we are."

"This is it? I was expecting a dragon or maybe a malboro…"

"Oh, dragons! Those are so cool!"

"Oh Gaia, I gave you an idea, didn't I?"

"Yes, but not for now."

"So what is in here?"

Zack carefully opened the door to reveal a young chocobo barely bigger than a large dog. It was sitting on a soft pillow in a corner of the pen, eating away at a large pile of greens.

"A chocobo chick? It's just a chocobo chick…"

"Hey, don't be so mean to Spike! He has feelings too, you know!"

"Well I'm sorry but I was expecting the freaking Midgar Zolom! Allow me to be relieved for a moment!"

"Well Spike is far better than the Midgar Zolom. Here, take a closer look!"

Zack picked up the chick and held it close to him. The chick cocked its head as it examined him. Cloud blinked as he examined the chick back. Once. Twice. Thrice.

"Holy hell, that's a gold chocobo! How on Gaia did you get a gold chocobo chick?"

"Well I met this guy in Kalm who had one for trade. I just couldn't leave the poor thing there. He reminded me of you."

"How… How does a gold chocobo chick remind you of me?"

"Your hair looks exactly like his butt! Here, look!"

"I would punch you right now but I'm pretty sure I would break my hand…"

Zack seemed confused at this comment and Cloud couldn't for the life of him figure out if it was because Zack honestly thought being compared to a chocobo's ass was a compliment or because Zack was so out of touch with reality that he believed he was on par with him in terms of physical strength. Cloud mulled this conundrum over for a bit before deciding that it was most likely both. And here he was thinking intelligence was a prerequisite for becoming a SOLDIER 1st Class.

Maybe Zack had slept his way to the top?

Why was that such a believable possibility?

Great, now he was picturing Zack naked… This was having way too much of an effect on his nether regions. He was straight, dammit! He liked Tifa! Girls! Boobs!

And now he was picturing Zack with boobs… At least his boner had died down.

"Cloud, you okay?"

He had apparently zoned for quite a while. Zack had put the chick back down next to the pile of greens and was now waving his hand in front of his face. Cloud didn't fully snap back to reality until Zack knocked on his forehead.

"Hello! Gaia to Cloud! Are you in there?"

"Ow! Zack, stop it!"

"There you are! I thought I'd lost ya."

"I was just… thinking about something, okay?"

"Something fun judging by the tent in your pants."

Cloud blushed furiously.

"I do not have a tent in my pants!"

"Not any more no. You did before though. Perhaps you shouldn't wear boxers any more. They're really revealing and you are still a teenager."

"I'll… keep that in mind? Why are we talking about this?"

"Hey, it's my duty as your superior officer to give you sage advice every now and then."

"I'm pretty sure my choice of underwear has nothing to do with that…"

Zack just shrugged and turned his attention back to his chocobo who was happily eating away at the greens. Zack tenderly petted the bird, making it wark happily. Cloud was actually pleasantly surprised to see Zack capable of being so calm and tender. He couldn't help but think it was endearing and even downright adorable.

Then he noticed just how large the pile of greens next to the chocobo was.

"Zack, you really shouldn't feed it that much."

"Why not? He likes greens. They're sylkis greens too!"

"How did you— Never mind. No matter what they are too much is bad for him. He'll get fat."

"Oh. My. Gaia. A gold fat chocobo…"

"No Zack, just a fat gold chocobo. Actual fat chocobo are an entirely different species."

"Aw… Way to crush my hopes…"

"Just… Don't feed him so much, okay? It's unhealthy."

"Well I do want Spike to be healthy."

Zack nuzzled the chocobo's head lovingly before removing most of the greens. Spike protested a bit but he quickly quieted down when Zack calmly explained why eating too much was bad for him. Cloud prayed that the chick didn't actually understand Zack. He probably couldn't handle Zack being able to talk to chocobo.

They stayed with Spike for a while longer, playing with him and having small talk until Cloud finally decided that he had neglected his duties long enough. Zack refused to let him go though, arguing that spending time with him was far more important than guarding the Shinra Building. It wasn't like anyone ever attacked them in the centre of Midgar any way. When Cloud reminded him that they had only recently been attacked by the forces of Genesis Rhapsodos Zack just shrugged it off and stuck to his point.

Once he had made up his mind there really was no point in arguing with Zack.

So a few minutes later Cloud found himself sitting on the couch in Zack's quarters. They weren't that big —at least not for a 1st Class's quarters— but they were like a palace to his simple infantryman standards. Cloud slept in the army barracks. Having a room all to himself was beyond luxurious.

"This is nothing. You should see Sephiroth's quarters. They cover an entire floor of the Shinra Building. He has like two bathrooms."

"What does he need with so much space? What does he use it for?"

"Guest rooms, mostly."

"Does he get that many guests?"

"Beats me. I've never seen anyone enter his place but him."

Cloud rubbed his temples. Apparently common sense wasn't a requirement for becoming a 1st Class either.

Zack threw him a soda and a controller and soon the two were duking it out in _Dragon Ball Xenoverse_. Cloud was pleasantly surprised to see that Zack's mako-enhanced reflexes apparently didn't help him be better at fighting games. As they were playing they chatted cheerfully about a variety of subjects. That is until the subject turned to girls and sex and Cloud suddenly turned beet-red and started stammering.

"So, do you have a girlfriend?"

"Kinda… Maybe? Not really, I guess…"

"Ah, nice and vague. So tell me, who is she?"

"Her name's Tifa… But I haven't really been in touch with her since I joined Shinra…"

"Oh~ Vague _and_ complicated! Just like a romantic comedy!"

"Zack, stop making fun of me."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. So Why haven't you been in touch?"

"I promised her…"

Cloud looked away at the floor, too embarrassed to look Zack in the eyes.

"I promised her I would become a SOLDIER like General Sephiroth. I'm such a loser."

"Hey, hey, hey! You are _not_ a loser! You can still easily become a SOLDIER as long as you embrace your dreams and never give up! I believe in you, Cloud."

Cloud looked back up at Zack and smiled. His smile widened further when Zack gave him a tight hug.

"So you came to Shinra to impress a girl, hm? No wonder you seem so tense all the time; you've been saving yourself for her! Have you even been jerking off?"

"What? That's none of your business!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' then. Weird. I've heard a lot of interesting stories about what goes on in the army barracks at night."

"I'm not gay, Zack."

"What's that got to do with anything? I'm not telling you to date someone, I'm telling you to have some fun. You need to get off, right? You must be ready to explode!"

Cloud blushed and looked away again. He really did need to get off. The last time he had jerked off was… He couldn't even remember. The thought of doing it in the barracks where all his fellow cadets could see him put him off though. The thought of doing anything with them was even worse.

Zack on the other hand…

No, no, no, no! He was not gay! He liked Tifa! Girls! Boobs!

Huh… Déjà vu.

Ugh, why was Zack making him this confused? Could he really be attracted to guys as well? Maybe it was just this weird aura of utter sexuality that Zack emitted…

"Besides, I've seen you drool whenever Sephiroth walks by. You totally have a crush on him as well."

Cloud was struck speechless. He wanted to object, he really did. He just knew it was completely useless to do so. He really did have a thing for General Sephiroth. Then again, who didn't? General Sephiroth was perfection itself, divine beauty incarnate. Everyone had a crush on General Sephiroth no matter how straight or gay they were. Still, it didn't help his case here.

"I hate you sometimes, Zack…"

"Okay, okay, but think about this for a moment: You and Tifa about to have sex for the first time…"

Cloud did not like where this was going.

"Since it's your first time doing anything with someone else ever you're going to be all awkward and embarrassed and clumsy. It'll totally ruin the moment and everything!"

"What's your point?"

"You need experience!"

"I'm sorry I asked…"

"Well it's true, isn't it? You want your first time to be perfect, right?"

"Well, yeah but…"

"No buts! You need experience! And you need to get some release. All that pent up frustration isn't gonna make things any easier."

"Please tell me you're not buying me a prostitute…"

"I'm not buying you a prostitute."

"Oh thank Gaia!"

"I'll be the one helping you."

"Wha—?"

Before he could say anything Zack had kissed him. Passionately. For a few seconds Cloud was in too much of a shock to do anything. When he regained his senses however he was on the opposite side of the room in a flash.

"WHAT THE HELL, ZACK?! Did you just kiss me?"

"Yeah, of course I did. I told you I was gonna help you."

"That was my first kiss, Zack! My first kiss!"

"Oh… Awesome!"

"…"

"I'm honoured to have taken your first kiss, Cloud."

"I… I don't even… Know how to respond to this…"

"Some parts of you do."

Cloud quickly jumped backwards and covered the front of his pants with his hands. Zack couldn't help but laugh at his friend's comical reaction.

"Shut up Zack!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

"I really don't like being toyed with."

"Okay, I'll admit I went a bit too fast. I just want to have some fun with you. I don't like seeing my best friend be all frustrated just because he has this weird misconception that you're either 100% straight or 100% gay."

Cloud sighed deeply. He couldn't stay angry at Zack. He knew he was honestly trying to make him feel better. Cloud just really liked being sure of who he was and Zack was very much messing with that.

Or was Zack just showing him who he really was?

Cloud mulled this over for a bit. He really couldn't deny his attraction to Zack anymore — it was way too obvious to the both of them by now. He still really liked Tifa but did that mean he couldn't —as Zack would say it— have some fun with a friend? Maybe he really was just stuck in narrow-minded preconceptions. And there was no harm in… experimenting, was there?

He was probably already too horny to be making such important decisions.

At least he could trust Zack. Zack was Zack after all. And if there was one thing Zack was it was hero-like.

He just hoped Zack wouldn't kiss and tell.

"Zack… Promise me one— no two things."

"Sure, what?"

"One: Stop when I tell you to."

"Of course! You have to be having fun too. This is all for you, after all."

"And two: Don't ever tell anyone about this. Ever. Anyone."

"I promise!"

"Okay then. Let's… ehm… practice, I guess."

"Awesome!"

Cloud just stood there awkwardly as Zack gave him a big hug. He still wasn't completely convinced this was a good idea but at least it would probably make a few things clear about his sexuality. It would also stop Zack from whining, which was always nice.

He tensed when Zack started stroking his ass and even more so when Zack once again kissed him. This time though he quickly gave in and relaxed. Soon he was actually kissing Zack back, trying his best to imitate what his friend's tongue was doing.

Once Zack noticed his participation he went on to phase two. Without opening his eyes or even breaking the kiss he started undressing him. Cloud didn't notice it however. Not until Zack finally had to break the kiss to get his undershirt off.

By this point Cloud's hormones were surging through his body, making him dizzy and weak. He wouldn't have been able to resist even if he had wanted to. It only took a few more seconds for Zack to get his shoes and trousers off, leaving him in nothing but his boxers.

A few seconds later Zack was in the same state although in his case he was in boxer briefs.

Cloud stared at his friend. Zack was attractive enough while fully dressed but nearly naked he was a regular Adonis. His body had been trained to the point of physical perfection and he didn't seem to have a single blemish on him. His boxer briefs were tight enough to show him all the good details from his amazingly shaped ass to the outline of his sizeable cock.

Cloud's cock throbbed in his boxers, reminding him of the very obvious tent he had going down there. He made a mental note to start wearing boxer briefs as well.

"I see you're ready to go, Cloud."

"You too by the looks of it."

Zack looked down at his crotch before throwing a somewhat proud grin at him.

"Oh, I'm barely half-hard right now. You ain't seen nothin' yet."

Cloud swallowed hard. Zack's cock already looked larger than his own. If it was still going to grow even more… He just hoped Zack was a shower, not a grower. Either way mako had more influence on the body than Cloud had thought.

He really needed to get into SOLDIER.

Zack roughly pulled his underwear down, causing him to snap out of his daydreaming. Before he knew it Zack had guided him to the couch and pushed him down. He was now half sitting half lying with his legs spread wide. It was quite an embarrassing pose but Zack acted so naturally that he just couldn't feel the shame. He was still blushing furiously but it wasn't out of embarrassment. It was out of pure excitement and lust.

Zack got on the couch between his legs and immediately went down to business. He took his cock in his hand and gave it a few strokes before bending over and sucking it deep into his mouth. Cloud would've commented on Zack's apparent lack of a gag reflex —he hoped it wasn't just his cock being tiny— but all that managed to leave his mouth were moans.

He didn't need any prior experience to know just how amazing Zack was at giving blowjobs. He'd barely had time to enjoy it before he felt his orgasm rushing through him. He tried to warn Zack but it was too late. He shot what felt like a lifetime's worth of cum into his friend's mouth, moaning loudly.

It seemed Zack was neither surprised nor upset about this though. He eagerly swallowed his cum and hungrily licked his cock clean as well. Cloud was still recovering from his climax as Zack sat up again and ruffled his hair.

"How was that for your first blowjob, eh?"

"That… Was amazing…"

"I knew you'd like it. Ready to return the favour?"

Zack's request didn't register in Cloud's mind until he saw Zack's cock hovering in front of his face. It was fully hard by this point and somewhere in the back of his head a joke formed about how Zack had a penchant for wielding giant swords. Nothing came out of his mouth though. Instead Zack pushed the tip of his cock in as soon as he parted his lips.

Cloud wasn't completely taken by surprise — he knew this was going to happen. The cock just seemed even bigger in his mouth. The taste wasn't terribly surprising either. The salty flavour of sweaty skin and a bit of bitter precum. Nothing surprising.

Cloud mentally thanked his twelve-year old self for being curious enough to taste his own cum.

He concentrated on licking the tip as he couldn't fit any more into his mouth. He explored every nook and cranny, eliciting plenty of moans and encouragement from the cock's owner. Eventually Zack fell back onto the couch, allowing Cloud to get into a somewhat more comfortable position. This way he also had more freedom of movement.

He started licking Zack's cock from his neatly trimmed pubes to the very tip and back. He really started getting into it, enjoying how much pleasure he could give the older man. He liked being the one in charge for once.

He explored every bulging vein and every fold of foreskin until he was certain he knew exactly what Zack liked. He even started to notice an odd, sweet scent and taste. It was almost sugary even, like an ice-cream or something. Now that he had noticed it he couldn't ignore it any more. Or maybe he hadn't been able to ignore it before either…

Was this why Zack was so irresistible to… well everyone? Some kind of barely noticeable pheromone that made you unconsciously addicted to his presence? Cloud had to wonder if this was the result of SOLDIER's mako infusions.

That would mean General Sephiroth had it too.

A new wave of hormones rushed through his veins and he redoubled his efforts of pleasuring Zack. He started to pay some attention to Zack's balls — which were easily the size of eggs. He carefully massaged them as he sucked Zack's cock until he eventually noticed that they were moving closer to his body. Zack's cock started to throb harder as well and his stomach tensed up.

Before Cloud could realise what was happening a hot jet of cum hit him in the back of his throat. It was joined by a few more until Cloud started coughing. The rest of the cum landed on Zack's stomach except for a few spurts that landed on his cheek.

"Hey, are you okay? I'm sorry I didn't warn you. It just felt so amazingly good!"

Zack patted him on the back but Cloud barely noticed. The sweet flavour was even more pronounced in Zack's cum. He would call it delicious if that wouldn't mean he'd be calling cum delicious. Regardless he pushed Zack back down and licked the man's stomach clean. It was… the least he could do for Zack cleaning him. Yeah, that was it.

When Cloud had finished his cleaning job Zack pulled him up into a kiss. This time Cloud had no problems returning it and for a while they just kissed passionately. In the meantime both their cocks had grown hard again.

Noticing this Zack broke the kiss and grabbed his ass, pulling him a bit upward. This allowed Zack's cock to slip neatly between his ass cheeks. Cloud swallowed hard, realising what Zack was trying to tell him and feeling the heat of Zack's huge cock against his ass. The thought of that… thing going inside of him was scaring him more than a bit.

Zack continued to massage his ass while rubbing his cock against it. All Cloud could do was hold onto Zack's neck, pressing his face into his hair. The smell of Zack's hair was making him dizzy and oh so horny though.

He shuddered as he felt something cool being poured on his ass. He didn't protest though. He just leaned forward, giving Zack's fingers easy access. He gasped at the intrusion but was surprised that it didn't hurt. On the contrary. Zack's slippery fingers moved inside of him in a way that made him almost writhe with pleasure. He moaned loudly when Zack found his prostate and started massaging it.

Zack tenderly kissed his shoulder as he continued fingering him. The grin grew even more as his cock become slippery with precum between their stomachs. Finally Zack decided that it was time for the next step and pulled his fingers out again.

Cloud gasped. He knew where this was heading. He wanted this so much right now.

Zack grabbed his ass tightly with both hands and lifted him a bit. The tip of his cock was now rubbing against his entrance, teasing him. Zack pushed forward a few times but it was just too slippery to enter without help. Finally Cloud had had enough of the teasing. With more resolve than he had thought possible he grabbed Zack's cock and held it in place as Zack pushed forward once more.

This time Zack's cock did enter his ass. The intrusion of something that big caused him to gasp and lose his strength. He slumped down on Zack's chest as the older man pushed in further and further, stretching him more than he had thought possible. Zack went slowly, making sure never to hurt him. It did make his cock seem even bigger to him though.

It took several minutes but finally Cloud could feel Zack's pubes tickle his balls. He couldn't believe he had the entirety of Zack's cock inside of him. He slowly sat up straight, pushing the cock even deeper inside. He placed his hand on his stomach. It might just be his imagination but he could've sworn he could feel Zack's cock.

What he definitely could feel was the throbbing of Zack's cock inside of him and the intense heat it radiated. The sensations were making him dizzy again and to prevent himself from falling he pulled Zack into another kiss. Zack was all too happy to return it and embraced him tightly.

As Zack held him like this they moved around so he was on the bottom. Cloud broke the kiss and looked at his best friend with lust-filled eyes. He couldn't believe he had resisted this. He felt like he was in Heaven. Like he had become one with his best friend. His gorgeous, addictive best friend.

He suddenly hoped he wasn't actually getting addicted to Zack. Mako addiction was far too real a threat.

Then Zack pulled almost all the way out of him before thrusting back in, removing any remaining doubts and fears. Zack started fucking him properly now, lifting his hips into the air as he got on his knees to be able to put more effort into his thrusts. Cloud moaned loudly, letting the intense sensations overwhelm him. He wrapped his legs around Zack's waist and fruitlessly tried to clutch the fabric of the couch.

With nearly every thrust Zack managed to hit his prostate and it was driving him crazy. He was writhing in pleasure now, even drooling a bit. If Cloud had had the mental wherewithal to form coherent thoughts he would have been wondering if he could cum from just Zack fucking his ass without ever touching his own cock.

Perhaps someday he would find out but right now the pleasure was getting too much for Zack to push things that far. Feeling his own climax rapidly drawing closer Zack grabbed his cock and started jerking it furiously. Even in this state the older man had enough mental clarity to be able to time their orgasms almost perfectly.

Zack came first, shooting his load deep inside him. The sudden new sensation of getting his ass flooded by Zack's torrid load pushed him over the edge as well. Cloud felt his entire body tense up as he shot his own cum over his stomach and chest. Their orgasms seemed to just keep on going, both of them shooting more than they had ever thought possible. Finally their climaxes subsided and the two of them collapsed into an exhausted embrace. They shared one last languid kiss before falling asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

"Cloud? Cloud are you all right?"

"Hm?"

Cloud shook his head and looked at Red XIII — Nanaki. The large red feline was looking back at him with some concern.

"You were zoned out. Is Sephiroth giving you trouble again?"

"What? No! I was just… daydreaming. Why would you think Sephiroth was involved?"

"You smelled the way you always do when talking about him. Aroused and angry. No, not angry… Sad. You were sad this time."

Cloud blushed furiously but Nanaki didn't seem to care in any way. Fortunately the cat had little to no understanding of human inhibitions and customs.

"Either way, we're almost at Round Island. You might want to be conscious for that."

"Thanks."

Cloud looked down at the gold chocobo he was riding and gave it a gentle pat. He'd had to go through a lot more trouble to get this one than Zack had had to for his but he couldn't deny that it had been fun. Nostalgic and filled with happy memories.

"So… why the sadness? Or is that considered inappropriate to ask?"

"I guess it would be but I don't mind telling you. I was thinking back to a very close friend. My best friend even. I had forgotten him for a long time though. Forgotten all the things he had done for me…"

"But you remember him again, right? Isn't that all that matters?"

Cloud smiled a melancholic smile. He once again petted his chocobo —Spike II, son of the black chocobo Zack Jr. and the wonderful yellow chocobo Aerith Jr.— and closed his eyes. He could still picture Zack as if he was standing in front of him; could still smell his scent. Mako-enhanced sweetness and all.

"You're right, Nanaki. As long as I remember him he isn't truly dead. And he died a good death in the end. An honourable death. A hero's death."

The party finally reached Round Island ready to get the most powerful summon for their fight against their most powerful enemy. In the night sky above them the giant meteor glowed ominously. Cloud looked at it with purpose and without fear. His friends, both alive and dead, would give him the strength he needed.


End file.
